Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

I found these video's to be fantastic. They show the natural progression of movement. I think it's interesting to note how important core movement is. And to see how other movements come from core movement. This is a great example of how the body should naturally work. This kind of understanding can only help your Aikido training!

Not speaking within the context of martial arts, but rather within the context of quality movement in general:

At least 50% of the utility of the spine comes from the fact that operating it as a joint is optional. Many skill-based physical programs prescribe a lot of time at the beginning to teach novices how to NOT use their spines as a joint while under load, because mobile spines fail immediately under even moderate loads. The starting positions in all barbell movements and the gymnastic hollow body position are primary examples. Even some skilled athletes do not have a mature capacity to control the mobilization and demobilization of the spine during dynamic activity. A good example is the guy in this video demonstrating a complete loss of chest control when squatting, resulting in him coming up on his toes and leaning far forward when in the hunter's squat.

I was surprised that this series did not mention this critical aspect of spinal control, given that it is quite germane. It would certainly benefit anyone undertaking a physical activity to develop a mature squat and the spinal control that entails. If your spine is not under control, it tends to dampen and hinder core-to-extremity movements, mute all applications of hip power, and slip you into poor positions at the most inopportune moments.

In that first video when he starts walking, he's describing it as "push, push, push, push." Meaning that he's engaging large muscle groups in the legs, meaning that he's not discharging the energy from his legs.

With core movement, the leg muscles don't do the moving; the core does. Rather than "push, push" with a weighted-loaded back leg, try just swinging an empty back leg - that's been discharged of energy - into the place the movement of the core directs it. Instead of "push, push," It should feel more like, "release, release, release, release." And then "swing, swing, swing, swing."

You should feel no sense of weight in the legs as they move. If they feel weighty, they still have energy in them. We want to discharge that energy - allowing it to drain out of the leg - before we swing it - effortlessly - in the direction determined by the movement of core.

In fact, the reason he's describing a "push, push" movement is because he hasn't moved his core forward enough by the time he moves his back leg. So the core it still over the back leg. The back leg is still full of energy. That energy has to drain first - out of the bottom of the leg.

By him pushing, he's sending energy back up into his body, in the opposite direction it needs to be going for effortless core movement. Imagine an eight-lane highway with cars going in both directions all in the same lanes. That's what's going on in his back legs.

Instead, if he would allow the core to more forward about a half an inch or so - and then move his back leg, the energy - which was provided by the core - would discharge from the leg, and he would just swing an empty, weightless leg effortlessly forward.